Years and years and years have lead up to Saturday. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and its just amazing to me that its finally come. I know, it seems like its just a dance and its not anything to get too worked up about, but to me its really meaningful.

For those of you who do not know (there are very few of you out there nowadays) I’m taking Leah to homecoming. And for those of you who don’t know (there are more people who don’t know this) we’re going out now. That just seems like such a big deal to me now.

Going out for a lot of people does not mean much, its just teenage life (not everyone, I do know of a select few who feel the same as I do). There are pairs out there who I think really do belong together because they do like eachother. But most of dating at this age really consists of people going out to experiment, not because they feel a really deep connection to their partner, but because they want to go out with someone. Now, going to a dance with someone is not in my opinion necessarily going out with that person. But in this case, with me and Leah… I really feel like she means much more to me then some other people who could care less who the person is they’re dating.

I’ve known Leah since first grade. I liked her back then (as much as you can like someone at that age) and since then, my romantic-liking her has been off and on (for the most part, on) but the whole time she’s been a very good friend of mine. We both didn’t see much point in going out for a long time, because all the things you might do with your girlfriend / boyfriend are things we already did. We already spend hours a week sitting and talking (and yes, really TALKING, not just sitting there listening to the air conditioner of the other persons house turn on and off), and we already go places with eachother on occasion, and spend a lot of time just being around eachother. We hardly ever become mad at eachother (it happened once for maybe 15 minutes. It didn’t really work), but with such a great relationship already, we didn’t see a great purpose in throwing in the whole dating thing. What more is there to gain from going out with someone if we already hang out, talk and just be around eachother? Besides the obvious (almost kind of selfish) reasons to go out with someone, we didn’t really see a point to it. But when Homecoming came… I think we both realized how torn up we’d be to see the other with a different person. And now here we are.

So with Leah and I knowing eacother for almost 9 years now, there didn’t seem much of an argument or disagreement. We’re now officially going out.

So if you see us Saturday night, don’t freak out or yell or scream. You saw it coming. We saw it coming. Everyone saw it coming. And now that the time has come, after 9 years, I think we’re all ready for whats been built up. The Masquerade.

I’ve got 5 parts. Small parts, yes, but they are parts. Three of the parts are just kind of the walking-in-the-background-guys. One is another no name, maybe with lines, maybe not (I know there will be yelling involved at the very least), and I get to fight. Apparently a professional fight choreographer is coming in to teach us.

And then I’ve got Muley. He’s got lines – around 13, plus a monologue. I really didnt consider him at all in my mind – for a lot of today I just kind of thought… why me… he’s kind of a complicated person. Almost, like, so simple that its complicated to figure out.

So his family went West to California – he refused to go. Never says why. So, not being able to pay for the house and land working only by himself, he loses both. Now he’s wanted by the authorities. He hides out in houses, never stays in one place too long. He just keeps moving. I don’t really know what age he is, or anything really about him besides that… its hard to figure how to play him. Our Director said he was a little crazy – not so much that its blindingly apparent, but just a little bit. Life has pushed him a little off the edge. Crazy, I think I can do.

I’ve thought a lot about it. A big part… probably wouldn’t have been good for me, and no matter how well I’d have done in rehearsals I probably wouldn’t have gotten one anyways. Its like a job – you have to start as a worker in the mailroom before working yourself up to become CEO of the company, no matter how good you are. And I think I’ve accepted that. I think it’ll be good to have a smaller part. I just have to use what I have to make it the best it is.

Thirteen hours and I will know if I’m in the Grapes of Wrath – I’m pretty sure I’m in it, because we have like around 18 guys and 16 positions. But now it comes down to the size of the part.

Okay, I’ve heard it before – there are no small roles, only small actors. I know that. But I reallllly want a role with atleast a name! Not, you know, Man-going-back or Proprietor or Singer3. I don’t know… maybe thats selfish. But its just, I really worked hard for those 3 weeks at camp this summer, everyday trying to do whatever I could to improve my skills at acting, and this year to me was going to be this big, revealing event. Its Rob, back with a vengence and new acting skills! I go back and watch previous shows before this summer and just groan at all these things that could have been so much better. Now, I know, 3 weeks does not equal 3 years. But I feel like I’ve worked hard and I know what I’m doing up there, onstage… but that still might not be enough. As of now its looking as if it won’t be.

I really liked Noah. He was, in the book, older than Tom (which might be changing in this stage production, I don’t know) but he never really got a chance to be normal. When he was young something happened to him, like he was hit on the head or something, and he’s not all quite there. He’s a little bit slower. And all his life, he’s been sitting there, thinking. His parents and family – sure, they’re nice to him and stuff, but in the end they really don’t care what happens to him. And he’s been basically sitting there, ignored, his whole life, and throughout this time he’s been thinking, and he finally gets the chance to let everything come out, to tell someone how he feels and what he has felt for the past couple decades of his life, and that he knows people think he’s different – and he runs away. And the thing is, his part was so small, nobody really thought to look at it too much. I was ready for it. But alas, I wasn’t called up to try him out… maybe something better will come.

Leah and I had a lot of fun recording another podcast – we haven’t in a long time and don’t very often, and even though this one is kind of short, it was sooo funny to record. I hope some of you find the time to listen to it – it comes in at a total running time of 36 minutes and 17 seconds.

~Rob’s Techno Weather MixUp~
Alex Featherworthypenn
James Bond’s Visit
Batman?
THE HELICOPTER IS SO FREAKING LOUD!
… Technical Difficulties…
“It seems Kathy’s in the Helicopter, but it also seems it is on fire…”

THE INTERNET WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD!
Leah’s Brave Quest to Save Her Phone – Her Ultimate Sacrifice.
Broken Nails.
“I Say What I Wanna Say When I Wanna Say It…”
THAT’S SO LEAHHHH!
Rob Mountain.
Mary Had a Little Lamb…

I’m limited:
Just look at me – I’m limited
And just look at you –
You can do all I couldn’t do
So now it’s up to you
For both of us
Now it’s up to you:

I’ve heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true
But I know I’m who I am today
Because I knew you:

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You’ll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend:
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you:

Because I knew you:

I have been changed for good

And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I’ve done you blame me for

But then, I guess we know
There’s blame to share

And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled Like a ship blown
From orbit as it Off it’s mooring
Passes a sun, like By a wind off the
A stream that meets Sea, like a seed
A boulder, half-way Dropped by a
Through the wood Bird in the wood

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better?

Four days. Its amazing how much can happen in such a short period of time. I’ve began my Acting class already. The only real thing I can say is just, wow. Its completely teaching what I thought I would never hear. Its like, all these personal philosophies I’ve had, only spoken out loud and really stressed in a really refreshing way. Like how we are acting almost all the time. In class you might act the innocent student, but the minute you walk out the door, you are completely a different person. To tell you the truth, we haven’t really done any specific theatre-stage acting. Most of it has been just discussion and really hands on learning about how we are as people, how that comes across, and how we all communicate sometimes without realizing it. My classmates are amazing people, and I’m really glad that I took this class especially because we were absolutely forced out of our comfort zone to meet eachother. The first thing we did was group all like 18 of us into a 3 ft sq area and had to stay moving at all times. This was really good because we all individually got more comfortable with one another. I am having such a great time with these really awesome people!

Got to go for now. Got to get to study hall!

Rob

PS to LEAH – The password from the protected post is the pack number of Trevor and Abe’s troop. THIS IS FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.